


Please, Help Him

by TheDarkLordMegatron



Series: Gilgardyn Week 2018 [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Begging the Six, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 05:32:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16257674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkLordMegatron/pseuds/TheDarkLordMegatron
Summary: “This was pointless.” He said bitterly “You are no gods. You are cruel creatures playing at being divine.”Written for Day 3 of Gilgardyn week! The prompt was Gilgamesh begging/threatening the gods to relieve Ardyn of his suffering.





	Please, Help Him

They had been bathing in a river at the break of dawn when Gilgamesh had first noticed the familiar black tendrils creeping up Ardyn's back. Terrified he had closed the distance between them and delicately traced the lines with his fingers, taking note of the way Ardyn stilled beneath his touch.

“How long?” He had inquired, one hand coming to rest upon his hip. It was clear by the colouration and spread of the markings, that the infection had not been recently contracted. They had witnessed the beginnings of the Starscourge first hand. Starting with a singular black, mottled bruise it would cause sickness and a fever prior to spreading to the extremities. For the Scourge to have reached the victim’s upper body, it had to have been growing uninhibited within them for some weeks. There was no possible way his Prince could not have noticed it’s presence, indeed he was shocked that he had yet to notice it considering how intimate they were with one another; which meant that Ardyn had either been suppressing it or somehow hiding the discolouration. A terrible thought to be sure.

“The bruises first appeared during the Solstice.” Ardyn replied solemnly, his own hand coming to rest upon Gilgamesh’s. Nine months. Eos. How had he been so unobservant? “I had thought I had successfully driven the infection from my body, but the markings reappeared two weeks ago.” He paused, leaning into the gentle touches, the cold of the river water long forgotten. “I did not wish to worry you.”

“There will never be a day where I do not care about your well-being. You have, and always will be, the most important thing in my life.” Gilgamesh retorted, pressing a kiss to one of the pulsing lines on his neck. “You are not alone my Prince and you never shall be alone. Whatever the future holds, we will face it together.”

* * *

 

A year ago he had believed those words. He had truly thought that they could find a way to purge the infection from Ardyn’s body, but who could heal the healer? They could hardly reveal his weakening condition to the general populace, at least not without causing mass hysteria. The people did not need to know that one of their only defences against the Starscourge was slowly dying of it himself. Neither could they turn to the young Prince Somnus whom had long since proven that he could not be trusted. They were still feeling the aftereffects of the revelation that Ardyn was more attracted to men than women - the nobles could be truly vicious when they wanted to be.

As the months passed and the Scourge continued to ravish Ardyn’s body, leaving him weaker after every healing session, Gilgamesh became more desperate; even going so far as to reach out to his clan despite his exile. But no matter how hard they tried, whom they contacted or where they travelled, they had yet to find even a glimmer of hope. They could of course seek out the Oracle, but the trek to Tenebrae was a long and harsh one, even then they were not guaranteed an audience with her. She made no secret of her hatred towards the soon-to-be-King, despite neither having met one another since childhood.

So in the middle of the night, as a final act of desperation and while Ardyn slept soundly amongst their meagre collection of furs, Gilgamesh reluctantly drew the Draconian’s symbol into the cold sand of the Leiden desert. If no mortal could provide answers or aid, then he would have to try to commune with the immortals - even if he refused to worship them as the Lucians did. After stoking the fire and ensuring Ardyn was suitably warm, he settled himself down atop his markings, Gilgamesh laid his hands in his lap and bowed his head. 

“I do not know if you can hear me,” He began “Or if you even care but I would have words. The Scourge...it is  _ your _ creation. And twas you, Draconian, who chose the Lucis Caelums to wield the power of the Crystal. It was you who selected the Oracle and gave her the power to counteract it, and yet your Oracle has done little to aid this world, hiding away in Tenebrae as she does. Leaving the duty to protect our people, to heal them, upon the shoulders of  _ my  _ Prince. He has used your Crystal to combat the Daemons where he can, and tis he who has cured so many in only a few short years. Unlike  _ her  _ my Prince does not require people to travel to him, he will seek out the sick and freely provide his aid.” Clenching his fists he turned to glare at the midnight sky, searching for a sign amongst the stars to prove that his words were being heard. “You can stop this! Why must the duty of purging the Starscourge fall upon the shoulders of two individual beings? Is it not enough that they dedicate their lives to you? That Ardyn is willing to die so that others may live?!” 

Tearing his attention away from the sky Gilgamesh looked towards Ardyn, observing the serene expression on his face - a rare sight in recent weeks. His anger fading into resignation he continued “I beg of you, if you have any compassion in your hearts, end this. I do not care how, so long as it is peaceful. Either purge his body of the Starscourge or allow him death. Somnus can have children, let him and his descendants suffer if you cannot free our star, just let Ardyn be.” Pausing he sighed “And if you cannot accept him into the afterlife, take my life, use whatever cleanliness is left in my soul to purify his.” He was not sure how long he remained sitting in the sand, only that by the time he finally stood once again, his hands were as cold as ice and the moon had risen in the sky. 

“This was pointless.” He said bitterly “You are no gods. You are cruel creatures playing at being divine.” Moving away from the markings he paused at the edge of their makeshift camp, turning to look at them one last time. Honestly he had never expected a response from the Astrals. During their travels he had witnessed countless poor souls praying to them for mercy, begging their families to be spared, only to receive nothing. Yet a small part of him had hoped. Hoped that perhaps one of the Six would have taken pity on him and at least answered his calls, if only to deny him their aid. Chuckling humorlessly he turned his attention back to the night sky.

“If you will not save him, then I will. Mark my words, Ardyn Lucis Caelum shall be free of your cruelty. When all is said and done, it shall be your names the people curse and his they worship.”

 


End file.
